When it comes to console hacks and mods, there are plenty of grey areas and debates over ethical practices. Those aspects may come to the test soon on 3DS, if the coding efforts of Twitter user Smealum deliver as expected — the coder is currently working on the later stages of a functional homebrew channel for the portable.

To start off, below is a photo posted that shows a version of this Homebrew channel running.

3 DS Homebrew

Clearly aware of the moral minefield that channels like this prompt, the creator has emphasized that the channel will not run 3DS game ROMS, nor will a flashcard be required to run it. It will apparently work on North American, European and Japanese systems, and the purpose of the channel is to support homebrew games and apps, though there are suggestions that some emulators will be functional. For those that object to region locking, it is planned for the channel to allow 3DS carts from other regions to be playable on any system.

It's an interesting development that's clearly been in the works for a number of weeks and months. There's often a line of argument that seeks to separate homebrew activities from outright hacking and piracy, though the danger in the past has been that technology for one often leads to another; that is naturally a concern for publishers and Nintendo.

Whether Nintendo will successfully implement a new system update that locks out this planned homebrew channel is yet to be seen. Let us know what you think, though we request that comments stay on topic with this article and observe our Community Rules.

[source tinycartridge.com]